Tool holding prosthetic device

ABSTRACT

A tool holding prosthetic device including a connector for attachment to an artificial body member and a tool or set of tools wherein the connector and tools are provided with snap-fit connecting means.

United States Patent 191 Bengtson 1451 Apr. 9, 1974 1 TOOL HOLDING PROSTHETIC DEVICE [76] Inventor: Charles N. Bengtson, 9227 Waverly Dr., El Paso, Tex. 79924 [22] Filed: Sept. 22, 1972 [21] App1.N0.: 291,298

[52] US. Cl. 81 /177 A, 81/177'UJ, 3/128 [51] Int. Cl. B2Sb 13/48, A61f 1/06 [58] Field of Search 81/177 R, 177 A, 177 U], 81/180 R, l85, DIG. 11, 71;3/12, 12.8;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,333,009 Hosmer 3/12.8 X 2,526,105 10/1950 Adams 81/177 UJ UX 3,490,078 1/1970 Perez 3/128 2,071,543 2/1937 Kress 81/177 A,

2,561,523 6/1951 Lux 3/12 2,566,215 8/1951 Croix 31/128 Primary Examiner-A1 Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner.lames G. Smith Attorney, Agent, or F irm- Bacon & Thomas, Jesse B. Grone J r., Jerry A. Thiebeau' 5 7 ABSTRACT A tool holding prosthetic device including a connector for attachment to an artificial body member and a tool or set of tools wherein the connector and tools are provided with snap-fit connecting means.

2 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAFR 9 1974 saw 1 or 2' IATENTED APR 9 i974 SHEET 2 BF 2 TOOL HOLDING PROSTI-IETIC DEVICE The present invention relates to a prosthetic device for quickly and easily attaching any selected one of a number of tools to an artificial body member.

In one aspect the invention relates to a connector which is adapted to be secured to an artificial arm and which may be quickly and easily detachably connected by an axial engaging, snap-fit connection to any one of a variety of tools provided with mating snap-fit means.

The connector of this invention may be fixed to the outer end of an artificial arm after an artificial hand or other device has been removed therefrom. Any of a variety of tools or other devices provided with mating snap-fit means may then be attached to the holding means of the connector by a simple axial movement.

It is an object of this invention to provide a prosthetic device for an artificial body member which permits quick removal ofonc tool and the equally quick attachment of another tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connector to which a variety of different tools may be easily attached by a handicapped person having an artificial arm and with possible restricted use of the other arm and hand.

A further object is to provide a connector for an artificial arm constructed and arranged in such a manner that the tools or other devices attached thereto may be rotated or pivoted to a preferred position in order to more conveniently employ the attached tools.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred forms of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tool and a tool holding connector adapted for attachment to an artificial arm;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of a tool and the tool holding connector of FIG. 1 in assembled relationship with an artificial arm;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the spring pressed ball detent of the stud seated in a retaining groove in the socket of the tool;

FIG. 4 through 8 inclusive show a few 'of the various tools which may be used with the tool holding connector attached to an artificial arm;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view similar to FIG. 2, partly in elevation, illustrating the tool holding connector assembled to a sleeve laced onto an artificial arm.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a ball joint type of connector member having a snap-fit stud at one end and screw threads at the other end thereof;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a ball joint type of connector member similar to the one shown in FIG. 10 but provided at one end with a snap-fit socket; and

FIG. 12 is a plan view, partly in cross section of another form of tool holding connector.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an artificial arm 1 is provided with a threaded opening 3 and may include a metal end plate 5 secured to the artificial arm by suitable fasteners 7.

The connector generally designated by the reference numeral 9 includes an elongated body 11 provided with screw threads 13 on the cyclindrically end portion 14 thereof adapted to mate with the threads in the threaded opening 3 of the artificial arm 1.

A shown, the other end portion 16 of the elongated body 11 is of square configuration as viewed in transverse cross section and provides a stud 15 for attaching a variety of different tools to the connector 9. The stud 15, which includes four flat surfaces 17 of substantially equal width and length, is provided with a detent opening or bore 19 which extends transversely of the stud 15. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end of the bore 19 is somewhat restricted and provides a seat for the detent ball 21 which is urged outwardly of the bore to a position where a substantial portion of the ball extends above the surface of the stud by a coil compression spring 23 mounted in the bore 19 with one end against the detent ball 21 and with the other end in engagement with a threaded closure plug 25 mounted in the end of the bore 19 opposite the detent ball.

A flange or shoulder 27 extends radially outwardly of the body of the connector 9 between the screw threads 13 and the square stud 15 and the surface of the shoulder 27 faeing in the direction of the screw threads 13 is configured to conform to the outer'end of the artificial arm 1 or to the outer surface of the metal plate 5 and to abut against the outer end of the artificial arm when the connector is'fully screw threaded into the threaded opening 3.

Varioustools, a few examples of which are shown in FIGS. 4-8, may be adapted for use withthe present connector by welding or otherwise rigidly securing to the tools or other devices a snap-fit socket 29 having an opening 31 shaped to conform to that of the stud l5 and dimensioned to be a close sliding fit thereon. The snap-fit sockets 29 are provided with an annular groove 33 adapted to cooperate with the detent ball 21 so that a tool is securely attached to the connector 9 when the detent ball 21 is seated in the annular groove 33.

In operation, the end portion with the screw threads 13 is threaded into the opening 3 in the artificial arm 1 until the shoulder 27 provided by the flange abuts tightly against the surface of the metal plate 5 or against the end of the artificial arm 1. In order to tightly secure the connector 9 to the artificial arm I, the outer periphery of the shoulder 27 may be knurled-as at 35 or, if desired, the periphery may beprovided with flat surfaces so that a suitable wrench may be employed for tightening the connector against the end of the artificial arm.

After the connector 9 has been securely mounted in place on the end of an artificial arm, various tools provided with a snap-fit socket having an appropriate opening, may be quickly snapped onto the stud 15 by an axial movement and retained thereon by the detent ball 21 urged outwardly into the annular groove 33 by the compression spring 23.

FIG. 9 shows a connector 9 attached to a sleeve 37 of leather, fabric, plastic or other suitable material secured to the outer end of an artificial arm 1 by the lacing 39. The outer end of the sleeve 37 carries a rigid bushing 41 provided with a threaded bore 43 into which the screw threads 13 of the connector 9 are threaded. The inturned outer end of the sleeve 37 is secured between a radial flange 45 of the bushing 41 and a flanged washer 47 by the rivets 49.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 9 does not require a threaded recess to be formed in the end of the artificial arm in order to mount the connector 9 but instead illustrates the use of a sleeve as an intermediate member between the connector 9 and the artificial arm 1.

While the stud has been shown and described as being of square configuration as viewed in transverse cross section, it will be obvious that the stud might also assume other shapes and function equally well, the only requirement being that the socket 29 carried by the tools or other devices to be attached to the connector, have a complementary opening conforming to the shape of the stud and dimensioned to be a close sliding fit thereover. The stud 15 could thus have a cross sectional shapeof a triangle, a pentagon, a hexigon, etc. without departing from the spirit of the invention.

FIG. 10 shows a connector member 51 and includes an elongated body member 53 provided at one end 54 with screw threads 55 and at the other end 56 with a square stud member 57 having a transverse bore 59 in which a detent ball 61 is mounted and is urged to a partially exposed position by a compression spring 63 confined between the detent ball 61 and a threaded closure plug 65. The screw threads 55 are adapted to mate with those in the threaded opening 3 of the artificial arm.1 or with those in the bore 43 of the bushing 41.

The end 54 ofthe connector member 51 provided with the screw thread 55 is connected with the other end 56 of the body member provided with the stud member 57 by a ball joint designated generally by the reference numeral 67. This ball joint permits the stud 57 to rotate relative to the screw threads 55 and also permit the stud to swing laterally with respect to the threads through an angle of approximately 90.

The elongated body member 53 of F 1G. 10 includes a rigid socket member 69 provided with a radially extending shoulder 71 facing toward the screw threads 55 formed on the outer end of the socket member 69. The inner end of the socket member 69 is provided with a threaded recess 73 in the bottom of which is seated a friction washer 75 formed of suitable material such as fiber, rubber, plastic, lead, etc.

The other end of the elongated body member 53 includes a shank portion 77 with the stud member 57 rigid with the outer end thereof. The inner end of the shank portion 77 is rigidly secured to a ball 79 by the threaded connection 81.

The ball 79 is located in the recess 73 and is seated against the friction washer 75. A bearing member 83 provided with a surface 85 curved to conform to the outer surface of the ball 79, is screw threaded into the threaded recess 73 with the curved surface 85 in engagement with the surface of the ball 79 urging it into frictional engagement with the washer 75. By screwing the bearing member 83 into the threaded recess 73 to tightly confine the ball 79 between the surface 85 and the washer 75, rotation and swinging movement of the ball joint 67 may be prevented. However, by adjusting the bearing member 83 to provide a suitable friction between the ball 79 and the curved surface 85 and washer 75, a universal type joint is provided which permits relative rotation and swinging movement between the stud 57 and the screw threads 55,

With the connector member 51 of FIG. 10, it is possible to provide a wrist type of action needed for using some tools and devices'as well as for holding some power tools that require the use of both hands.

vThe connector device 87 shown in FIG. 11 is identical in structure with the connector member 51 shown in FIG. 10 except at the end 54a which has a square snap-fit socket 89 and an annular groove 91 instead of external threads. The connector device 87 may be attached to the snap-fit stud 15 of the connector 9 by inserting the square stud 15 into the square socket 89 with the detent ball 21 seated in the annular groove 91 to provide a universal type of joint between an artificial arm and a tool snapped onto the stud member 57a.

The tool holding connector 95 shown in FlG 12 is similar to the one shown in FIGS. 1-3 with regard to the screw threads 96 at one end and the annular shoulder 97 facing toward the threaded end. The other end, however, has a square snap-fit socket 98 and an annular detent receiving groove 99 instead of a square snapfit stud. This connector, when fixed to an artificial arm, may be quickly and simply attached to any one of a variety of tools, tool extension devices or the like fitted with a snap-fit stud adapted to fit in the socket 98.

While preferred forms of this invention have been disclosed and described herein, such changes and modifications as would occur to one skilled in the art are to be considered within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A connector for attachingvariety of snap-fit tools to the outer end of an artificial arm provided with a threaded opening extending inwardly from the outer end thereof comprising, a body having a first cylindrical end portion adapted to be secured to an artificial arm and a second end portion adapted to form an axially sliding fit with a mating portion of a snap-fit tool; screw threads provided on said first end portion adapted to mate with the threads provides within the outer end 'of an artificial arm, said second end portion having a detent ball disposed -in a detent opening formed in said end portion, resilient means disposed in said detent opening below said detent ball urging it outwardly of the detent opening to a position where a portion of the detent ball extends above the surface in which the opening is formed, and an annular flange extending radially outwardly of said body between said screw threads and said second end portion providing a shoulder adapted to abut against the outer end of an artifical arm when said connector is screwed into the threaded opening provided therein and thereby frietionally lock said connector in place on said artificial arm, the peripherial surface of said annular flange being knurled to provide a rough surface for gripping and rotating said connector.

2. A connector for attaching a variety of snap-fit tools to the outer end of an artificial arm-provided with a threaded opening extending inwardly from the outer end thereof, comprising: a body having a first, cylindrical, threaded, end portion adapted to be threadable attached to the threaded opening of an artificial arm, and

a second end portion having a non-circular shaped opening formed in the outer end thereof adapted to be detachable connected with a snap-fit to a member, an annular groove extending around the interior wall of said opening for receiving a detent ball of said member, and an annular flange rigid with said body extending radially outwardly therefrom between said first end portion and said second end portion providing a shoulder adapted to abut against the outer end of an artificial arm when said connector is screwed into the threaded opening provided therein and to thereby frictionally lock said body in place on said artifical arm, the peripherial surface of said annular flange being knurled to provide a rough surface for gripping and rotating said connector. 

1. A connector for attaching a variety of snap-fit tools to the outer end of an artificial arm provided with a threaded opening extending inwardly from the outer end thereof comprising, a body having a first cylindrical end portion adapted to be secured to an artificial arm and a second end portion adapted to form an axially sliding fit with a mating portion of a snap-fit tool; screw threads provided on said first end portion adapted to mate with the threads provides within the outer end of an artificial arm, said second end protion having a detent ball disposed in a detent opening formed in said end portion, resilient means disposed in said detent opening below said detent ball urging it outwardly of the detent opening to a position where a portion of the detent ball extends above the surface in which the opening is formed, and an annular flange extending radially outwardly of said body between said screw threads and said second end portion providing a shoulder adapted to abut against the outer end of an artifical arm when said connector is screwed into the threaded opening provided therein and thereby frictionally lock said connector in place on said artificial arm, the peripherial surface of said annular flange being knurled to provide a rough surface for gripping and rotating said connector.
 2. A connector for attaching a variety of snap-fit tools to the outer end of an artificial arm provided with a threaded opening extending inwardly from the outer end thereof, comprising: a body having a first, cylindrical, threaded, end portion adapted to be threadable attached to the threaded opening of an artificial arm, and a second end portion having a non-circular shaped opening formed in the outer end thereof adapted to be detachable connected with a snap-fit to a member, an annular groove extending around the interior wall of said opening for receiving a detent ball of said member, and an annular flange rigid with said body extending radially outwardly therefrom between said first end portion and said second end portion providing a shoulder adapted to abut against the outer end of an artificial arm when said connector is screwed into the threaded opening provided therein and to thereby fricitonally lock said body in place on said artifical arm, the peripherial surface of said annular flange being knurled to provide a rough surface for gripping and rotating said connector. 